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Williams BR, Woodby LL, Bailey FA, Burgio KL. Identifying and responding to ethical and methodological issues in after-death interviews with next-of-kin. Death Studies. 2008 Jan 1; 32(3):197-236.
After-death research with next-of-kin can enhance our understanding of end-of-life care and translate into better services for dying persons and their survivors. This article describes ethical and methodological issues that emerged in a pilot of a face-to-face interview guide designed to elicit next-of-kin''s perceptions of end-of-life care. The pilot study was part of a larger Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research protocol to improve end-of-life care in VA Medical Centers. By deconstructing the research process from an ethical perspective and engaging in critical self-assessment, the authors aim to inform other researchers of potential problems involved in after-death research with next-of-kin.